Typewriting machine



Aug. 25, 1931. G. F. HANDLEY TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 1927 OWd L03oq UG MH 6 2 Sheets-Sheet l his/415501 Aug. 25, 1931. G. F. HANDLEY 1,820,066

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 25, 1931 GEORGE IF. HANDLEY, OF GLENDALE, NEW YGRK, ASSIGNOR TO ROYAL TYPEWRITER FFICE "-mml COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK TYPEWRITING MACHINE Application filed October 10, 1927.

This invention relates to bichrome ribbon mechanism adapted to be used in connection with a shiftable platen and particularly designed so that the throw of the ribbon for J! both red and black will be substantially the same in both the upper and lower case positions of the platen. It is also so designed that the ribbon vibrator will start to move at the. same point in the depression of the key 1 lever for both the black and red Zones of the vibrator operating mechanism with the parts in position for writing black in the upper case position of the platen.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the parts in position for writing red in the lower case I position of the platen.

Figure 4 is a similar view with the parts i in. position for writing red in the upper case position of the platen.

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the parts set to stencil position and the platen in lower case position.

Figure 6 is a similar view with the platen in upper case position.

In all of the views the normal position of the parts is indicated in full lines and the operated position by dot and dash lines. The invention is illustrated as applied to the Royal portable machine, although it is adaptable for use in various constructions. I There is illustrated a main frame A, a shift shif Serial No. 225,230.

frame B on which travels a carriage C supporting a platen D. Key levers E are connected by mechanism including front links F and links G to the heels. of the type bars H pi'votally mounted in a type segment K.

The ribbon is carried by the usual ribbon vibrator L. The rear ends of the key levers underlie a universal bar M supported by bars on a rock shaft N, which rock shaft has an upwardly extending arm 0 connected by a link P to a member R pivoted on the rear of the machine. The mechanism thus far illustrated is that commonly employed in the Royal portable machine.

The ribbon vibrator L is pivoted at 1 to an actuator 2 which is pivoted at 3 to the shift frame B. This actuator has a depending arm to which is connected one end of a spring 5, the other end of which is connectedto the the actuator against an adjustable eccentric stop? carried by the shift frame which de termines the normal position of the actuator '2. The actuator also has a seconddepending arm 8 having two contact surfaces at and by at an angle to each other and also having a brgadened outer end 0.

livoted on the member R which is actueach timea key lever is depressed, is a link 9 which is pivoted at its other end at 10 to a short link 11 in turn pivoted at 12 to an arm 13 mounted on a shaft 141. This shaft may be turned manually as in the present Royal portable construction or in any other desired manner and no specific means for is in position to engage with the surface a a frame and serves to draw an ear 6 0f.

of the arm 8 which is located at a greater distance from the pivotal point 3 of the actuator 2 than is the surface 6. The movement of the link 9 which occurs upon the depression of any key will bringthe post 16 into contact with the surface a, and move the actuator through a distance sufiicient to bring the upper or black zone of the ribbon into operative relation to the type when at the printing point. At the end of this movement, the upper edge of the actuator 2 will contact with the stop surface d as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and thus prevent any overthrow of the ribbon.

WVhen the platen is shifted to upper case position it is to be noted that the actuator 2 and the parts to which the upper end of the link 9 is connected all shift upwardly with the platen. The lower end of the link 9, however, is connected to the part B carried by the frame of the machine and moves but very slightly with the platen shift movement. The parts then take up the position shown in full lines in Figure 2 in which it will be noted that the post 16 is still in position to engage the operative face a of the arm 8, but is a little further removed from the pivotal axis 3 of the actuator than in the Figure 1 position. The link 9, however, which has a substantially endwise movement in its operation lies in a different line and the resulting movement of the ribbon will be substantially the same and to the same extent as when the parts are in the lower case position of Figure 1. At the end of the movement, the actuator 2 contacts with the stop face (Z to limit the movement of the actuator and prevent over throw of the ribbon.

hen it is desired to use the red zone of the ribbon the shaft 14 is turned and thus not only changes the position of the arm 13, link 11 and of the pivotal point 10 between the links 9 and 11, but moves the stop 15 to the position shown in Figure 3. It Wlll be noted that the movement thus described has brought the post 16 up to a point where it will contact with the operative surface I) of the arm 8 which is much closer to the axis 3 of the actuator than is the surface a and, therefore, the same movement of the l1nk 9 will produce a greater movement of the rlbbon vibrator and bring the lower-or red zone of the ribbon into printing position. At th1s time the actuator 2 contacts with the stop surface 6 of the stop 15 to prevent overthrow.

When the platen is now shifted to upper case position the parts take up the positlon shown in Figure 4 in which the stop 16 is still in position to engage the operative surface 6 but is slightly further from the pivotal axis 3 when in the Figure 3 position. However, the shift movement has changed the line of movement of the link 9 as above described so that the resultant movement of the parts upon depression of a key will produce the same operation of the ribbon.

In all four positions thus far described, it is to be noted that the post 16 is located substantially the same distance from engaging faces a and b of the arm 8 of'the actuator and since the link 9 begins to move at the same point in the depression of a key lever regardless of whether the platen is set for upper or lower case and of whether the ribbon vibrating mechanism is set for red or black, it will be obvious that the movement of the ribbon will be uniform in all cases, that is, it will start its movement at the same point in the depression of the key and will reach its limit of movement before the type bar comes to the printing position.

If it is desired to make a stencil sheet, at which time the ribbon is not to be used, the shaft 14 is rotated in the opposite direction from the Figure 1 position to that shown in Figure 5. This will move the arm 13, link 11 and link 9 to a position such that when the link 9 is operated, the cut away portion of the post 16 will just pass the lower end of the arm 8 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5 and produce no movement whatever of the ribbon actuator. If the platen is shifted for upper case position, the parts would appear as shown in Figure 6 and the post 16 will lie a considerable distance below the end of the arm S-of the actuator 2. It may be'noted that the lower end 0 of the arm 8 is broadened in order to prevent any possibility of the post 16 passing the same when the parts are set for stencil position.

It will be obvious that the construction described and illustrated is a very compact mechanism which is simple but efficient in operation and by which the ribbon will be i moved the same distance regardless of whether the platen is in upper or lowercase position and in which the ribbon will begin to move at substantially the same point in the It is obvious that the construction is particu- I larly adapted for machines in which the ribbon vibrator shifts with the platen but a portion of the actuating'mechanism is carried by the frame of the machine. However, the invention may be applied to other types of machines and various details may be modified without departing from the spirit thereof so that the invention is to be regarded as limited only by the scope of the appended claims. I

I claim as my invention: 1. Bichrome ribbon mechanism for a typewriting machine having a shiftable carriage and a universal bar, comprising a vibrator, an actuator therefor adapted to shift with the carriage, an arm on said actuator having '& estates frame of the machine and having a part adapted to engage one or the other of said operative surfaces, and means for varying the position of sa d operatlng member to change the zone of the ribbon presented at the printing point.

Writing machine having ashiftable carriage, comprising a vibrator, an actuator therefor adapted to shift with the carriage, an arm on said actuator having an operative surface, an operating member supported at one end from the frame of the machine and having a part adapted to engage said operative surface, said part also varying its position when the carriage is shifted but to a less extent than the actuator, the operating member however having adiiferent path of travel when the carriage is shifted and the resultant effect being that the actuator moves the same distance in both upper and lower case positions of the carriage.

3. Bichrome ribbon mechanism for a type- Writing machine having a shiftable carriage, comprising a vibrator, an actuator therefor adapted to shift with the carriage, and arm on said actuator having an operative surface, an operating link pivoted at one end to a member on the frame of the machine and at its other end to member carried by the shif able carriage and having intermediate its ends a part adapted to engage said operative surface, said part also varying its position when the carriage is shifted but to a less extent than the actuator, the operating link having a different path of travel when the carriage is shifted and the resultant effect being that the actuator moves the same distance in both upper and lower case positions of the carriage.

4. Bichrome ribbon mechanism for a typewriting machine having a shiftable carriage, comprising a vibrator, an actuator therefor adapted to shift with the carriage, an arm on said actuator having an operative surface, an operating member supported at one end from the frame of the machine and having a part adapted to engage said operative surface, said part also varying its position when the carriage is shifted but to a less extent than the actuator, the operating member however having a different path of travel when the carriage is shifted and the resultant effect being that the actuator moves the said distance in both upper and lower case positions of the carriages, said operating member being also movable to a position in which said part does not contact with the operative surface when it is moved.

5. Bichrome ribbon mechanism for a type writing machine having a shiftable carriage, comprising a vibrator, an actuator therefor ad apted to shift with thcarri'age, mam: on (said actuator having an operative. surface, "an operatinglink pivoted at one end to a member on the frameofqthe machine andat its otlier 'endtoa member carried by the; shiftable carriage and having-intermediate its ends part adapted to engagesaid operative surface, part also varying its position 1 when the carriage is shifted but to. aless ex- 2. Bichrome ribbon mechanism for a type tent than the actuator, the operating link havng a different path of travel'when the carriage is shifted and the resultanteffect being that the actuator moves thesame distance in both upper and lower case positions of the carriage, said operating link being movable' to a position in which said part does not contact with the operative surface when it is moved.

6. Bichrome ribbon mechanism fora typewriting machine having a shiftable carriage,

comprising a vibrator, an actuator therefor adaptee 1o shift with the carriage, an arm on the actuator having two operative surfaces arranged at an angle to each other and at different distances from the axis of the actu-A ator, an operating member having a part adapted to engage said surfaces, and means for moving said operating member so that said part will engage one or the other of said surfaces at substantially the same point in the depression of the key lever for both upper and lower case positions of the carriage. 7. Bichrome ribbon mechanism for a typewriting machine having a shiftable carriage, comprising a vibrator, an actuator therefon adapted to shift with the carriage, an arm on the actuator having two operative surfaces arranged at an angle to each other and at different distances from the axis of the actuator,

an operating member having a part adapted to engage said surfaces, and means for moving said operating member so that said part will engage one or the other of said surfaces at substantially the same polnt in the depression of the key lever for both upper and} lower case positions of the carriage, said means also moving said operating member to a position in which the part will not engage either of said surfaces when a key is operated. 8. Bichrome ribbon mechanism for a typewriting machine having a shiftable carriage, comprising a vibrator, an actuator therefor adapted to shift with'the carriage, an operating link supported at one end from the'zimfi an, actuator'theref or adapted to shift with the carriage, an arm onsaid actuator having two operative surfaces, an operating member movable independently of the universal bar andpivotally connected to the frame of the machine and having a part adapted to engage one or the other of said operative surfaces, and means operable when the carriage is shifted for varying the position of said operating member to change the zone of the ribbon presented at the printing point.

' In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

GEORGE F. HANDLEY. 

